Geneva, 28 June 2021

H.E. Mr. Hassan Rouhani President

Islamic Republic of Iran

Email: media@rouhani.ir; mission.iran@ties.itu.int

Dear Mr. President Hassan Rouhani,

I am writing this letter to you as the General Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union, which represents more than fifty million workers in mining, energy and manufacturing sectors in more than 140 countries, including Iran, to urge you to intervene immediately to put an end to the violation of fundamental labour rights of oil and gas workers in Iran.

We condemn in the strongest possible terms the firing of more than 700 workers, who were fired for joining the Strike Campaign 1400.  This constitutes a blatant violation of international core labour standards, including Convention 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize, and Convention 98 on the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining of the International Labour Organization (ILO).   We urge you to intervene to guarantee their immediate reinstatement.

We fully support the call from thousands of workers at oil and gas projects and petrochemical plants from 60 companies in eight provinces demanding higher wages, payment of unpaid salaries, and better contractual conditions.

It is imperative that the government address the fair demands from the oil and gas sector concerning better wages, including a set of wage demands for each employment category, adequate social security and better living conditions. Workers are willing to return to work if employers meet their demands.

As we have pointed it out in numerous occasions, we find it unacceptable that workers are employed by subcontracting companies, which provide labour for development projects in the oil and gas fields.  Contractors routinely underpay social security contributions by misclassifying workers, which affects their pensions, unemployment and sickness cover.

Therefore, IndustriALL Global Union urges the Iranian government to act without delay to protect the labour rights of oil and gas workers, and ensure decent working conditions for the workers as direct employees, which should result, among others, in higher wages, adequate social security and better living conditions.

I anticipate your prompt action and reply.

Sincerely,

Valter Sanches

General Secretary

The current [Iranian] year 1400 coincides with the 100^th anniversary of the inauguration of International Workers’ Day in our country. The first gathering of International Workers’ Day in Iran was held on the initiative of the Central Union of Workers of Iran in 1921. Despite the limited size of the Iranian working class, 8,000 workers as well as administrative personnel were organized in 16 trade unions in that year. They planned and organized the first May 1^st celebration in Iran. Read more

Dear sisters and brothers,

I am writing this letter to you as the General Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union, which represents more than fifty million workers in mining, energy and manufacturing sectors in more than 140 countries, to express our full support and solidarity with the oil and gas workers in Iran in their struggle to achieve decent working conditions and respect of their fundamental labour rights.

IndustriALL Global Union fully supports your industrial action, starting on 1^st August, and involving workers from Tabriz to Khuzestan, calling for vastly improved conditions of service and wages for temporary workers in the oil and gas industry.

It is imperative that subcontracting companies, which are pervasive in the oil and gas sector, address the legitimate demands of workers concerning, among others, fair wages, payment of correct work insurance for workers based on their jobs and salaries, provision of transport with adequate air conditioning in the extreme heat of the oils fields, which reaches up to 50 degrees Celsius, and provision of adequate dormitories for workers who stay on site for weeks at  a time because of the remoteness of the sites.

We stand shoulder to shoulder with the sisters and brothers of the Union of Metalworkers and Mechanics of Iran (UMMI) in demanding decent working conditions and respect of the fundamental labour rights of temporary oil and gas workers in Iran.

In solidarity,

Valter Sanches, General Secretary

To the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK) and

the United Metalworkers’ Union (Birleşik Metal-İŞ)

 On the occasion of May Day 2020, the Union of Metalworkers and Mechanics of Iran (UMMI) would like to convey its greetings and best wishes to our comrades in the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK) and the United Metalworkers’ Union (Birleşik Metal-İŞ) for the success of their decisive struggle for the realisation of the demands of the workers of Turkey.  Read more

With respect, due to the current health issues, this letter is published in an open format.

The upwards trend of the coronavirus continues in our country and, almost fifty days since the outbreak of this disease, we are witnessing that this pandemic has still not yet been controlled and there is no hope of a downwards trend on the horizon. Read more

Dear Dr Rouhani,

To comply with the current health issues, we are publishing this letter in cyberspace and we hope that observing the following will keep us from taking any further action. Read more

30 January, 2020

300 workers at the Chadormalu iron ore mine have been fired after protesting low wages and wage discrimination against contractors. Read more

Dear sisters and brothers,
I am writing this letter to you as the General Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union, which represents more than fifty million workers in mining, energy and manufacturing sectors in more than 140 countries, to express our full support and solidarity with the struggle of 300
mineworkers, who were summarily dismissed on 25 January at the Chadormalu mine. Read more